Formatting lists

[RPMiller]

Dan,
I can not seem to get the IFLIST or IS_LIST tags to format a list as italicized. It just displays the tags instead. Do I have to use these tags in a character template instead of the export template?
I'm still trying to get a list on the Martial Arts tab to display as italicized. Essentially the same as name does.

[Simon]

You use the tags in the export template. They have no meaning whatsoever in a character template.

To give an example, let's say you want the ALIAS value of a list to be italisized and for any items in a list to be indented (assuming an html format) -- I'll leave out the tag formatting and just give the tag names in all-caps:

IFPERKS
This is the Perks header
PERKS
PERK_COST  
IS_LIST<i>/IS_LIST
IFLIST<div style="margin-left: 15px;">LISTPREFIX<span style="padding-left: 10px;">/IFLIST
PERK_TEXT
IFLIST</span></div>/IFLIST
IS_LIST</i>/IS_LIST
/PERKS
/IFPERKS

[Simon]

To elaborate/explain the above a bit:

What the export template is doing is saying that if the item is a List (this can be a List, MP, EC, or VPP), then put in an opening italics tag, then the "text" of the item (the name), and then a closing italics tag.

Additionally, it says that if the item is a "list member" (i.e. part of a list, but not the List itself), then indent the item, print out the list prefix, give a little more indentation, and then print the text of the item.

If the item is neither a List nor a List member, then just print out the text of the item.

IS_LIST and IFLIST should always be mutually exclusive....You can't have a List within a List. If "IFLIST" evaluates to true, then you are dealing with a List member, which cannot itself be a list. If "IS_LIST" evaluates to true, then you are dealing with a List definition, which cannot be contained by any other List.

Hopefully this all makes sense....Let me know if not and I'll try to explain further.

[RPMiller]

Ok, here is what I have:

<!--IFMARTIAL_ARTS-->
Martial Arts Heading
<--MARTIAL_ARTS-->
<--MA_COST-->
<--IS_LIST>\i<--/IS_LIST>
<--MA_TEXT-->
<--IS_LIST>\i0<--/IS_LIST>
<--/MARTIAL_ARTS-->
<--/IFMARTIAL_ARTS-->
(The \i and \i0 are RTF formatting tags.)

Here is what it gives me:


Maneuver OCV DCV Notes
<--IS_LIST><--/IS_LIST><i>Martial Arts: Muay Thai</i><--IS_LIST><--/IS_LIST>
4 <--IS_LIST><--/IS_LIST><i>Block: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort</i><--IS_LIST><--/IS_LIST>

Any ideas?

[Simon]

Well...

Note that the format is not &lt;--IS_LIST--&gt; ... it's &lt;!--IS_LIST--&gt; (pay attention to the '!"...it's important).

All that the export process does is to swap out that value. If the item in question is a list, it leaves anything between the beginning (&lt;!--IS_LIST--&gt;) and ending (&lt;!--/IS_LIST--&gt;) tags in place (removing the tags themselves). If the item is not a list, it replaces everything from the beginning to the ending tag (inclusive) with an empty string.

I suspect that your problem is due to poor formatting of the tags themselves (it looks like you're using &lt;--IS_LIST--&gt; rather than &lt;!--IS_LIST--&gt;).

[RPMiller]

Originally posted by dsimon
Well...

Note that the format is not &lt;--IS_LIST--&gt; ... it's &lt;!--IS_LIST--&gt; (pay attention to the '!"...it's important).

All that the export process does is to swap out that value. If the item in question is a list, it leaves anything between the beginning (&lt;!--IS_LIST--&gt;) and ending (&lt;!--/IS_LIST--&gt;) tags in place (removing the tags themselves). If the item is not a list, it replaces everything from the beginning to the ending tag (inclusive) with an empty string.

I suspect that your problem is due to poor formatting of the tags themselves (it looks like you're using &lt;--IS_LIST--&gt; rather than &lt;!--IS_LIST--&gt;). Yes that is what I have. I left out the ! to be lazy with posting, but they are in my code. It looks to me like that tag isn't behaving properly in the Martial Arts section. I'm going to do a littl emore testing.
Also, notice that the formatting is taking, but it is applying it to everything, not just lists.

[RPMiller]

Originally posted by Durnin
I'm going to do a little more testing. Ok, I tested what I had by doing it in an HTML Template. It works beautifully. There must be something that RTF doesn't like about those tags for some reason. Time for some more investigating...

[Simon]

Let me know what you find. Those tags should not be present in the final output....if they are, it's something that I need to fix.

[RPMiller]

Originally posted by dsimon
Let me know what you find. Those tags should not be present in the final output....if they are, it's something that I need to fix. I've tried several permutations, and every one of them has failed. I have tried moving the tags to different locations, in different containers, and everytime they have no effect other than being present in the final export. I haven't tried all the tags, so I don't know if others are causing the same problems. All the ones I have used except the list ones have been fine. Let me know if you would like me to try something specific.

[Simon]

Originally posted by Durnin
I've tried several permutations, and every one of them has failed. I have tried moving the tags to different locations, in different containers, and everytime they have no effect other than being present in the final export. I haven't tried all the tags, so I don't know if others are causing the same problems. All the ones I have used except the list ones have been fine. Let me know if you would like me to try something specific.

Email me a copy of the export template that you're trying. I'd like to play with it a bit and see what I can find.

support@herodesigner.com

[RPMiller]

Originally posted by dsimon
Email me a copy of the export template that you're trying. I'd like to play with it a bit and see what I can find.

support@herodesigner.com I'm at work right now so I don't have the file, but I'll send it to you as soon as I get home. You could also try this one (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2394) that I posted. It is the previous version to the one I have now. The most current includes the IF_END tags. Thank you very much for those by the way!

[RPMiller]

Dan,
I discovered something interesting regarding the IS_LIST tag. If I put the IFLIST tag inside it, I know you shouldn't, it won't display the IS_LIST, but it will display IFLIST. Not sure why IS_LIST is showing up unless this is done. I'll be sending you my template this evening.